Hey Board Members, Leave Our Kids Alone!
Rewriting the definition of science (which the Kansas Board has also done) is the height of hubris and ignorance

December 6 2005
Counterbias.com
by Jason Miller
I N   K A N S A S


Radically conservative Christians are attempting to shove a “Wedge” down the collective throats of Kansans, but some of us are not opening up and saying “Ahhhh”. As a parent of a sixth grader at a Kansas public school, I assert that the six conservative members of the Kansas State School Board are abysmal failures at ensuring the intellectual growth of our children and have grossly violated a sacred parental right.

In opening the door to introducing “Intelligent Design” into Kansas classrooms, the Kansas Board has advanced the “Wedge Strategy” of the Discovery Institute, which originated “Intelligent Design”. “Intelligent Design” is a “theory” which rests solely on the observation that the complexity of the world “proves” the existence of a Creator.

Per Discovery’s own internal document called 'The Wedge Strategy':

Design theory promises to reverse the stifling dominance of the materialist worldview, and to replace it with a science consonant with Christian and theistic convictions.

Based on the Wedge Document (which can be found by Googling), it does not take much analysis to discern Discovery’s agenda. And just think. The Bush administration and the mainstream media would have us believe that the Islamic world has a monopoly on religious fanaticism!

Sneaking Christian teachings (in the guise of “science”) into a secular public school system is incredibly deceitful. Rewriting the definition of science (which the Kansas Board has also done) is the height of hubris and ignorance. Calling Evolution (a legitimate scientific theory which has endured for over 100 years and which is supported by mountains of evidence and an army of scientists), a “dogma” and suggesting a re-packaged version of the Creation Myth is a legitimate rival “theory”, are beyond absurd.

Once reason prevails and the six demagogues are voted off of the Kansas Board, perhaps our public schools in Kansas can get on with their true purpose of developing the intellect of our children. Parents have the sole right and responsibility of nurturing the spirituality of their offspring. The government needs to stay out of this very private matter.

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Jason Miller is writer whose affiliations include Amnesty International and the ACLU. He welcomes responses at willpowerful@hotmail.com or comments on his blog, Thomas Paine's Corner.